


It's Only Forever

by ghibliterritory



Category: Labyrinth (1986), Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Labyrinth Fusion, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Labyrinth AU, but this isn't new, coran takes lance under his wing, hunk is pure and sweet, keith is a mopey loner, matt is a geek, pidge is not taking this magic bullshit, shiro and allura are magical creature buddies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-29 03:05:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8473033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghibliterritory/pseuds/ghibliterritory
Summary: Pidge has heard the stories for as long as she can remember. She knows them all by heart- The characters, the details, and the words she was never supposed to say. She knew why she couldn't say them, why she shouldn't say them. But she did. She messed up, and now Pidge has to travel hell and back to take back what was stolen from her.
And if she has to face some egotistical elves, a basket case king, and more trap doors than she'd like to admit, then fuck it, she will.





	1. Story Time

“You mean you’ve never heard the story? Dad didn’t tell you?”

Two siblings sat on a bed, one tucked under the covers and one over them. The oldest- a boy with moppy hair and glasses- grinned down at the younger one- a girl with long hair going past her shoulders, stuffed animals surrounding her. The girl sat in anticipation, and wonder.

“No, he didn’t! Tell me the story, Matt! Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me-”

“Alright!” Matt chuckled, putting a hand on his sister’s head. “Once upon a time, there was a magical king, who lived in his own fantasy world. He was a nice king, with a large heart. But he was lonely, and didn’t know what to do with his power.” The girl sat on edge, watching closely as her brother spoke like he was there to see it all.

“So, the king built a labyrinth for him to solve, to pass the time. It was fun at first. Then he got bored, and let the labyrinth grow and grow. But the more he let the labyrinth grow, the more crooked and difficult it became, and the king got the same way. He become much nastier, and trickier, than he had been before. The people he once ruled became goblins in reflection of what he had become, and he became known as the Goblin King.” Matt began to use his hands to emphasize each word, grin only widening. “Now, the Goblin King liked to play his tricks on people outside of his kingdom. He had a magical crystal that he can see other worlds from, and he picked some very special people to give some of his power too, to test them.”

“Is anyone we know one of those people?” The girl suddenly asked, clutching a stuffed robot plush close to her chest. Matt gave the question some thought, before shrugging. “We don’t know. But, don’t think you don’t have them! It’s easy to fall for his tricks. Just to be safe, there are some words that you should never, ever, _e_ _ver_ say.”

Silence filled the air between them, and the girl grew anxious. “What? What words, Matt?”

“Well, I can’t say them!” He bit back a smile, thinking. “Give me your diary.”

The younger girl reached to her bedside table, where a leather bound diary sat, wrapped in ribbon to seal it away from prying eyes. She took it and handed it to her brother, where he untied the ribbon. He then took a pencil from the table and scribbled down frantically onto the paper. The girl peered over his shoulder, and read over each word a million times, ingraining them into her memory.

Once Matt finished, he looked back to his sister. “You can read it okay?” He asked, getting a nod in reply. “Good. Now, remember: You can never say these words. Alright? Never in your life. Or…” He left the silence lingering again, looking to his sister’s sides and smirking. “He’ll come get you!” Matt startled her, hands flying to tickle her sides. The girl squealed, squirming and kicking to get away. “Matt, stop it!”

“Matt! Katie! Time for bed, you two!” A voice called from the hall, and the tickle fight stopped. Katie frowned. “Aw, do we really have to stop there?”

Matt nodded. “Yeah, sorry, buddy. But- I’ll tell you more tomorrow. Maybe, I can tell you the story of the big monster with the warm heart, or the Bog of Eternal Stench.”

“The Bog of Eternal Stench?!” Katie asked, in shock, and Matt nodded. This made the girl fill to the brim with excitement, and as her brother said goodnight, she curled up under her blankets, dreaming of the stories that she might get to hear later on. From the window, a black cat sat in watch, eyes glinting with mischief.

 

* * *

 

 

From then on, the stories became regular. Matt would tell Katie about all the creatures that lived in the labyrinth, and all of the different places and parts of the growing and changing maze. Their parents would watch from the door, happy to see such a nice bond.

But, over time, things would change. Katie would grow to see the world in a new light, a more scientific approach. She would take on the name Pidge, an odd nickname given to her by friends, and would see her family crumble under the stress of a MIA father, lost in the midst of battle. And yet, she would hold onto these stories, escaping into the labyrinth during the day when she needed a break from all of the mess. She’d keep smelly swamps and malicious kings close to her heart for when she needed them.

And, after so many years, she would remember those forbidden words that Matt told her never to ever whisper. She’d go over them in her head, and think to herself, ‘I will never ever say these words’. And she wouldn’t. Not until the stress she stayed under would finally make her break, and she’d make the biggest mistake of her life.


	2. The Lost and The Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge twisted around in all directions, searching for the source of the sounds and finding nothing. God, what was happening? Where was Matt? 
> 
> Why was he being such a dick?

"I can't believe you!"

Harsh words bounced around the walls of the Holt household, more ferocious than ever seen before. It was an unexpected brawl between brother and sister, but somehow it was inevitable.

Ever since their dad had been claimed "missing in action", tensions were high among the family, with Matt wrapped up in building the family back up, their mother lost in her own emptiness, and Pidge the out liar, throwing herself into school and robotics and stupid flashy boy bands to distract herself, even though she knew the truth. Even though she knew that something deeper laid beyond the telegram her mother received, behind the final report of their father's whereabouts. It was bigger than just missing, and she realized that, even when the rest of the world didn't.

But, that was aside the point. There was tension and doubt among the three, and while their mother ignored it for her own sake, the siblings were almost always on edge with each other, waiting for the other to say something they knew they'd regret, or scanning conversation almost in search of an argument. 

This day was no different. Matt had come home after a long day of work, claiming he had "good news." Their mother was out presumably playing cards with her friends for the night, so Pidge was alone to wonder what it could be. She prayed that it was something that would change their routine. That would make her smile, congratulate him, whatever.

Sadly, she was wrong. Dead wrong. In fact, it made their whole routine ten times worse. He was accepted into the army. He was going to go back, and search for their father. Pidge knew that immediately. And while she would have done the same thing, she knew how dumb that was right now.

So she got angry. And then they both started yelling. And their fury rang around the walls of the house to bounce back at them.

"I can't believe you!" Pidge yelled, face red, her muscles tense and tight. How dare he try to do this? Not just to her, but to their mother, to himself? It was selfish. She wanted to tell him that to his face. And, while there was some avoiding those specific words, she did.

"Matt, there is a _war_ going on over there! Do you understand that? You can't just pack up your shit and leave, you can't just go out there without knowing what your doing!" She tried to keep her voice down, her vocal cords hurt enough. But she was just on the edge of screeching at Matt.

"I know what I'm doing, Katie! I'm this much closer to finding dad, and we both know it. He's still out there. This may be my one chance, don't you understand that?" Matt asked. Pidge sighed angrily. "But you _can't_  go out there, Matt. You can't. Not after dad went missing out there! You've never been in war once your entire life. You'd destroy mom if you did that!"

"You know, I thought you'd be happy for me!" Her brother scoffed, stomping up the stairs to his room with Pidge in tow. "I thought you'd be proud, because I'm the closest to finding dad! I'm going to bring him home!"

"All for what?! The fact that your family will be up at night worrying about you, the fact that you could end up in the next casualty list?!" Now she was screaming at him full fledged.

Matt stopped in the hallway, turning sharply on his heel to look down at his sister. "I'm going back, Katie. And there is _nothing_ you can do about it." His voice dropped low and serious, before he disappeared into his room, the door slamming shut in Pidge's face. Pidge fumed outside, her whole body shaking with tense rage.

What was his damage? How could he be so blind, so stupid, to the danger he was facing? If dad was smart, he'd be able to make it. Matt didn't have to throw himself into the middle of a war to search for one person. Pidge could feel her nails digging into the palms of her hands, her teeth gritting, trying to control the pure seething anger that flowed through her body. Before she knew it, she was screaming again. Screaming words she knew she'd been told never to say, but it was the only rebuttal she could think of, and her mind wasn't working right from the whole fight, that it fit the bill nicely to her.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away! Right now!"

The screech echoed in the hall, and outside thunder rumbled before silence filled the house again. Pidge expected some response. How she was too old to say that, how it was childish, or make believe. But she got nothing. And when she listened closely, she didn't ever hear another sound on his side. She knew that Matt cried when he got frustrated.

"Matt?" Her tone died down, throat scratchy from the screeching. "Hey, look- I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you, okay? I don't..." Pidge trailed off, eyeing the door. Still nothing. No shifting, or sighing. She hesitantly reached for the door, twisting the gold colored knob and pushing it open. "Matt?"

It took her eyes a moment to adjust before she could really see the room, shrouded in darkness until a flash of lightning gave it a second's worth of light. Her eyes landed on the lump of blankets on Matt's bed. Drama queen. That was her thing. "Matt, come on, you've gotta say something." She went over and moved to poke the bundle- But when she did, it fell flat, revealing empty space.

Pidge felt her heart fall into her stomach, the acid burning it away as she began to panic. No way. There was no way he could have just... Disappeared! That doesn't happen! "Matt?" She asked again, voice frantic. Another flash of lightning filled the room with it's light, and she darted her eyes around. No open window. No closed closet door. She checked under his best- Nothing.

"Matt, this isn't even funny!" She tried again. Noises started to pour around her. Feet scurrying the room, next to her ear or off in the corner. Sinister chuckling, and thudding and scratching on the bedroom window. Pidge twisted around in all directions, searching for the source of the sounds and finding nothing. God, what was happening? Where was Matt? Why was he being such a dick? Something brushed her leg, she heard the laughing and scratching grow, and every muscle in her body tensed.

"Matt!"

The window behind her shattered finally, and she screamed, moving to the ground and bracing herself with her arms. She heard something fall into the room, a twinkling kind of sound, and she wondered how bad of an idea it would be to open her eyes. She wanted to. Something drew her to it, her curiosity, no doubt. Slowly, very slowly, her arms lowered back to her sides, and her eyes fluttered open.

In place of the window, there was a man. Tall- at least compared to her- and thin, he almost looked a little sick. But it was hard to catch that detail when you looked at the rest of him. His whole garb looked like it came from a prince's closet, a large red coat draping his skinny frame and black gloves hiding what she could have guessed to be bony fingers. His face was made up, she could see reds and whites and blacks decorated around his eyes, and to throw it off, the worst looking mullet sat on top of his head.

But, Pidge couldn't make much snide comment towards it now.

That was definitely  _not_ her brother.

 


End file.
